There has long been a clinical need for a device to hold an upper eyelid in a closed position for healing after various surgeries or injuries. Tarsorrhaphy is a surgical procedure of sewing the eyelid closed. As illustrated in FIG. 1 (prior art), an upper eyelid is sewn together with the bottom eyelid to keep the eye closed during a healing period.
Other prior-art methods of holding the eyelid closed include the standard cloth eye patch which smothers the eye having a different purpose design and method, illustrated in FIG. 2 (prior-art), and medical tape, both being uncomfortable and are not effective for keeping the eye closed. Therefore, eye doctors commonly use a Tarsorrhaphy as the standard method of keeping the eyelid closed.
Still other prior-art methods for holding an eyelid closed for eye healing has featured a substantially rigid eye splint, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,293 to John F. Stamler. The rigid eye splint has proved to be uncomfortable for the user wearing the device as well as an antiquated method.
Accordingly, there is a need for an innovative technically advanced device that heals defects on an eyes surface by painlessly and comfortably holding the upper eyelid down thereby keeping the eye closed, and making the eyelid the eye's natural bandage.